Judo Australia is excited to announce a breakthrough appointment for the development of Paralympic Judo in Australia.
From January 8, former British Paralympian, Elliot Stewart, will join Judo Australia to lead our expanding Parajudo Pathways Program.
As Para Pathways Lead, Mr Stewart becomes part of the National Coaching Team, leading our vision-impaired athletes in their quest for Paralympic gold.
He will also be tasked putting in place the mechanisms required to identify, recruit and develop young parajudo competitors as we move #onestepcloser to Brisbane 2032.
Having won silver in the U90 division at Tokyo 2020, Mr Stewart retired from competitive judo immediately after his Paralympic triumph to focus on teaching and coaching. Emigrating to Australia in 2022, he is currently based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
His new role will involve working with athletes around the country and working alongside stakeholders such as Paralympic Australia and Blind Sports Australia to develop the programs our ParaJudo athletes need to build a pathway to future success.
Mr Stewart said: “I am honoured to join the Australian Judo team as Paralympic Lead. I’m excited to begin creating an innovative Paralympic program to support and develop visually impaired judoka on their journey to the Paralympic Games in Paris, Los Angeles and Brisbane. Let the judo journey begin!”
Maria Pekli, Judo Australia’s General Manager Performance and Pathways, welcomed Mr Stewart to the team.
“Elliot will join the coaching team this week for our first big training camp of the year, the National Training Camp here in Melbourne at the NPC. All of our development squads including some of our current Para athletes, and senior athletes from across Australia will be flying in and are looking forward to meeting such a crucial addition to our team.”
Simon Read, Chair of the Board of Directors of Judo Australia, conveyed his support for this groundbreaking initiative, stating, "We are delighted to welcome Elliot Stewart to Judo Australia and are confident that his wealth of experience will elevate our Parajudo Pathways Program to new heights. This appointment aligns with our commitment to fostering inclusivity and excellence in judo, and we look forward to witnessing the positive impact on our athletes and the broader judo community."
Judo Australia wish to thank the Australian Sports Commission and AIS for their continued support of our athletes in Australia pursuing their sporting ambitions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Maria Pekli
General Manager of Performance and Pathways, Judo Australia
M: +61 425 350 700. E: maria.pekli@ausjudo.com.au
Beck Hamilton,
CEO, Judo Australia
M: +61 0421 805 745 E: bhamilton@ausjudo.com.au